Nevada, MO. – The Cottey College Comets (10-15, 5-12)   basketball team with a conference home loss against Williams Baptist University Eagles (14-10, 10-6) by a score of 85-65 at Hinkhouse Gymnasium on February 9, 2023.     

The Comets were led in that effort  by Claudia Hadlock with 17 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists.  Lauren Jones with 12 points, 1 rebound, and 1 assist.  Sara Montesdeoca with 11 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist.

The Williams Baptist Eagles were led by Kaylee Clark with 26 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists, Tristan Richards with 21 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, and Nijah Moore with 17 points, 8 rebounds, and 1 assist.  

Sara Montesdeoca opens the game for the Comets with a layup in the first few seconds of the game.  Tristan Richards answers back with a layup for the Eagles.  A 9-6 run by the Eagles has them up by 3 halfway through the first quarter.  Montesdeoca keeps the lead to 3 with 3:06 in the first quarter on a layup.  A 9-2 run by the Eagles has them their biggest lead of the game, up 10 with :35 seconds left in the first quarter.  Hadlock with a free throw late in the quarter, but a buzzer beat layup by Kaylee Clark for the Eagles has the Eagles up 11 at the end of the first quarter.  

Both teams put up 25 in the second quarter.  The Eagles shooting 47% from the field and the Comets shooting 50% from the field, going 7 for 14.  Hadlock with the layup and one to start the second quarter.  Coulter adds another two with a layup and the Comets pull to within 8.  A Reesa Hampton three pointer puts the Eagles back up by 10.  Back and forth baskets throughout the quarter and the Comets stay close at 9.  A Kaylee Clark layup in the last .05 seconds has the Eagles up by 11 going into the half.  

At the half, Claudia Hadlock leading the Comets with 10 points, 2 assists, and Dally Coulter with 9 points, going 3 for 3 from the field and 3 of 4 from the line.  Coulter also with 5 rebounds at half and 1 assist.  Kaylee Clark and Tristan Richards both scoring 15 for the Eagles in the first half.  Nijah Moore with 11 points in the half, 5 rebounds, and 1 assist. 

The teams are again equal in the third quarter, each scoring 15; and the Eagles are able to maintain their 11 point lead heading into the fourth quarter.  A Tristan Richards layup starts the third quarter for the Eagles and the Eagles start with a 6-0 run to open the third quarter.  The Comets on a 14-4 run to pull within 7 with just under 3 minutes left in the quarter.  A 5-0 run for the Eagles ends the third and they are up by 11 heading into the final quarter.  

The Eagles pull away in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Comets 21-12 in the fourth quarter.  The Eagles were 47% from the field in the fourth, shooting none from beyond the arc.  The Comets shooting only 27% from the field in the fourth.  The Eagles walk away with an 85-65 win.  

The Comets are on the road for their third matchup of the week against Stephens College on Saturday February 11, 2023 at 1:00 p.m. in Columbia, Missouri at Silverthorne Arena.